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There's Something Funny About Mary

Marie Cordero: The Odd Man Out

Do you ever wonder about Marie Cordero?She seems so out of place in The Genuity 9.

[a] She's the only woman in the group[b] She's an IT person, not a deal maker[c] She doesn't seem to have a big title

[d] She's the only one who has been publicly accused of actually&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspstealing property as opposed to people

[e] And, in countering CIBC's charges, David Kassie has only &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbspcome to Marie's defence in particular.

Maybe she's just a small fry who got caught up in a big net.

If you were a conspiracy theorist, however, might the word "patsy" come to mind? The odd man out who gets caught with the smoking gun?

I know that people are trying to find out who she is because we see Google searches on her name. But, it sure doesn't look like there is anything out there.

She's just not important enough to have made a big splash. So, in terms of this caper, her anonymity is the only clue to her identity.

What is she accused of? At CIBC World Markets, Marie maintained a database called Quantum. It contained all the info on corporate clients.

In late December, just before she went to Genuity , Marie tried to copy some data to CD. CIBC claims she was stealing from Quantum. Marie says she was just storing data for her successor.

Genuity Kingpin, David Kassie, says that no one "at Genuity" took confidential info from CIBC.

He claims that Genuity sent a memo to ex-CIBC staff warning them not to grab any CIBC data and not to ask clients to follow them.

And, in an apparent reference to poor Marie, he cried out in frustration:

"This is really in the no-good-deed-goes-unpunished category."

Why, she was merely compiling an invitation list for the upcoming 100th anniversary of CIBC Wood Gundy and was branded a criminal for doing CIBC a favour. That's cruel.

At the same time, and in spite of all this, Dave Kassiavelli? had nothing but praise for his sworn enemies:

Of John Hunkin, the CIBC CEO who fired him:

'I have nothing but the highest regard of John.'

Of his successor at CIBC:

'Gerry McCaughey is a fine individual who did a terrific job in leading the wealth management group' at CIBC'.

And finally:

'I think CIBC conducts itself with the highest ethical standards.'

Just a week earlier, he'd said:

"After I left, Gerry McCaughey was appointed CEO of World Markets. He had no prior experience in the wholesale business. The common complaint was that he lacked vision in the investment banking business and showed no leadership and had no interest in meeting with clients."